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sidebar_label: Core Features
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[Home](/docs/intro) > [Discord Social SDK](/docs/discord-social-sdk/overview) > [Core Concepts](/docs/discord-social-sdk/core-concepts) > {sidebar_label}

# Core Features

The Discord Social SDK offers a range of features to enhance social interactions within games. Developers can leverage these features to create a more engaging and connected experience for players in their game.

## Account Linking

Account linking allows a game to authenticate users with their Discord credentials, gaining access to social features like friends, chat, and presence. This process uses OAuth2 authentication.

| Development Guides                                                                                       |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Account Linking with Discord](/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/account-linking-with-discord) |
| [Account Linking on Consoles](/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/account-linking-on-consoles)   |

| Design Guidelines                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Signing in with Discord](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/signing-in) |
| [Consoles](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/consoles)                  |

## Provisional Accounts

Provisional accounts let players use social features in your game without linking a Discord account so all players can have a consistent gameplay experience.

| Development Guides                                                                                   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Using Provisional Accounts](/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/using-provisional-accounts) |

| Design Guidelines                                                                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Provisional Accounts](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/provisional-accounts) |

## Friend System & Relationships

The SDK models friendships and relationships in two ways:

- Discord Friends: Persistent across all games.
- Game-Specific Friends: Limited to the current game.

| Development Guides                                                                                             |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Creating a Unified Friends List](/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/creating-a-unified-friends-list) |

| Design Guidelines                                                                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Unified Friends List](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/provisional-accounts) |
| [Game Friends](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/game-friends)                 |

## Presence & Rich Presence

Presence refers to a user's online status, while Rich Presence provides game-specific activity data:

- Displays if a user is online, idle, or offline.
- Shows detailed game stats (e.g., what level they're playing and time played).
- Allows users to send game invites through Discord and in-game.

| Development Guides                                                                         |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Setting Rich Presence](/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/setting-rich-presence) |

| Design Guidelines                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Status & Rich Presence](/docs/discord-social-sdk/design-guidelines/status-rich-presence) |


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## Next Steps

Learn the implementation steps, configure authentication, and explore development guides:

<Container>
    <Card title="Communication Features" link="/docs/discord-social-sdk/core-concepts/communication-features"
          icon="PhoneCallIcon">
        Learn about messaging, voice chat, and in-game lobbies.
    </Card>
    <Card title="Integration Overview"
          link="/docs/discord-social-sdk/core-concepts/integration-overview" icon="HammerIcon">
        Learn about the integration overview and implementation steps.
    </Card>
    <Card title="Development Guides" link="/docs/discord-social-sdk/development-guides" icon="BookCheckIcon">
        Step-by-step guides for implementing each social feature.
    </Card>
</Container>

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## Change Log

| Date          | Changes         |
|---------------|-----------------|
| July 21, 2025 | initial release |
